A Year Forgotten
by SLPikachu
Summary: Ellen meets a mother and daughter on the side of the road and takes them back to the Roadhouse where she fixes them something to eat, as well as shelter and a job. Her, Jo, and surprisingly, Ash comes to love the little girl.


A Year Forgotten

Ellen soared down the highway on her way back from restocking supplies for the Roadhouse. They had run out of peanuts and the woman figured it was time to restock on other supplies, as well. The windows were rolled up with the A/C spewing out cold air as classic rock music played on the radio. She was leaning her elbow on the truck's door, holding the side of her head against the back of her fingers.

Up ahead, Ellen could barely make out a form of what looked like a younger woman carrying a small child in her arms, holding her thumb out. She couldn't believe someone could be careless and try to hitchhike with a child where something could happen to the child and Ellen didn't even want to think about that. She knew what was lurking in the shadows but she also knew how screwed up some human beings could be, so, Ellen slowed the pick-up and rolled her window down to ask the young woman, "hey, you two need a ride?"

"Yes, ma'am," the young woman replied. "We've been walking for miles and my little girl's hungry and thirsty."

"Hop in, I have a roadhouse up ahead," Ellen nodded towards the road. "I can fix something to eat for the both of ya."

The young woman hurried around the truck and opened the passenger door, setting the toddler on the seat first. "Scoot over, Sarah," she told her.

The toddler, Sarah scooted to the middle of the seat, spotting the seatbelt and fastened it. "Hi," the toddler greeted Ellen when Emily was inside. "I'm Sarah and I'm two years old," she greeted Ellen, holding up two fingers.

"Well, pleasure to meet you, Sarah," Ellen greeted in return, warmly. "I'm Ellen." She held her hand out for Sarah to shake which the toddler took, politely. "This is my mommy, Emily."

Ellen nodded over at Emily, "Hey, Emily," she greeted her next, holding her hand out to the young woman.

"Thank you so much," Emily thanked her, barely accepting the handshake. "No one else would stop."

"It's no problem," Ellen assured as she continued driving.

"We're running away from home because Mommy didn't want to listen to Papa and Gram, anymore," Sarah stated in usual kid fashion even though her dialogue was mature for her age.

"Sarah Lynn, shut your mouth and do not talk to strangers," Emily scolded the toddler.

"But we introduced ourselves so Miss Ellen's not a stranger anymore," she pointed out to her mother.

"I said, shut your mouth or I will pull you across my knee," Emily repeated.

"But…"

Emily gave her daughter a warning look, silencing the little toddler who brought her knees up so she could cry to herself in her folded arms.

Ellen decided to clear the air of the awkward tension and make Sarah happy again. "How about some music?" she asked. Ellen switched the radio back on, on the same station.

Sarah perked up upon hearing the music. "I love this song!"

"A classic rock fan, huh?" she snickered but heard Emily sigh under her breath.

"How about some country instead?"

"No!" Sarah objected her mother's suggestion. "You always get to choose. Besides, it's Miss Ellen's car and she's driving. She picks the music and if she wants it then that what we listen to." The toddler looked up at the woman. "Right, Miss Ellen?"

Ellen smiled at the little toddler while still keeping an eye on the road. "That's right, majority wins." Besides, Ellen had turned it on for the little girl but did switch to another preset when the station was on a commercial break so Emily could listen to some country. The woman was also surprised to hear the words that came from the two-year-old's mouth. She was a mother, herself and raised a daughter that was very smart but Jo wasn't talking like an older child as a toddler. It was very impressive and hoped this little one grew up to be something this world could sure use.

Sarah moaned upon hearing the music. She didn't have to listen long since Ellen was coming up to their destination. The place looked like a rundown shack with only a couple cars parked out front. Sarah even asked if there were any horses around the back.

The three of them slid out of the truck when Ellen had parked and walked up to the main door, heading inside. There were only a couple customers scattered around. One was cleaning guns, the other shooting pool.

"Ash, can you bring in the groceries while I get these two, something to eat?" she called over to a man with a long mullet, working behind the bar.

"Sure can." The man, Ash walked back through the push door and came out through another door. Ellen led Sarah and her mother over to the bar where Sarah tried to climb onto one of the stools.

"Need some help?" Ellen smiled, warmly at her.

Sarah stopped struggling up the stool and nodded. "Yes, please."

Ellen reached down to lift Sarah. "Ready?" she asked.

Sarah nodded and was lifted off her feet, onto the stool.

"What would you like to eat, sweetie?"

"Uh, a cheeseburger, please. Do you have chocolate milk?"

"You bet we do," Ellen told her and turned to ask Emily what she was in the mood for. "What's your preference?"

"None for me, thanks. I only have enough money to feed my daughter," Emily explained to Ellen.

"It was on the house, actually but if its money you need, I can give you a job washing dishes," she shrugged.

"Sure, when should I come in for an interview?" Emily asked.

"No need for an interview, sweetie. I'm giving you the job."

"Please don't call me, sweetie. I'm not your daughter," Emily told her. "I will have a sandwich, thank you."

Ellen couldn't believe how little Sarah could be so sweet and adorable and her mother was, though somewhat polite, a complete bitch. She was offering the woman a job and had given the two of them a ride here. One more minute out there and one or both of them could have passed out from exhaustion, or worse and this is how she talks to the person who possibly had saved their lives?

Turing to head into the kitchen, Ellen stopped to add, "I have a couple beds in the back where we sleep. You both are welcome to it, too."

Emily was wiping her hand over her face. She glanced up at the woman, "Oh, thank you, very much."

"It's no problem," she replied and headed into the kitchen.

While Sarah's burger was cooking on the stove, Ellen made both her and her mother a glass of ice cold water first and brought it out to them. "Before you girls get some food in your bellies, you should get some water in ya before you pass out on my floor."

"Thank you, Miss Ellen," Sarah said, politely and picked up hers in both hands, drinking it down.

"Drink it, slowly or you'll chuck it back up," Ellen warned the toddler.

Sarah drank it a little slower.

Ellen couldn't help notice Sarah now that she had a better look at the toddler. Her hair was a dark blond but it was Sarah's eyes and freckles that seemed familiar to the woman. But Ellen just couldn't decide who it was Sarah reminded her of.

Sarah and her mother did stay there at the Roadhouse with Ellen and her own daughter, Jo. Ash lived there, too. Emily washed dishes and cleaned tables. She had noticed Ash and tried to flirt with him but Ash didn't flirt back, thinking the same as Ellen how Emily was. He did tolerate Sarah, though. Ash wasn't fond of children but Sarah was "cool" in his book.

Sarah would run around the Roadhouse, playing. Jo kept an eye on her while Emily was in the back, washing.

One day, Sarah wandered over to where Ash was playing a game of pool. "Can I play?" she asked, trying to see over the edge of the table.

"What would a short-stuff like you know about pool?" he joked with the toddler.

"You can teach me."

Ash looked at her for a moment. "You can't even see over the table, how can you expect to play?"

Jo had heard the conversation and brought a milk crate over, setting it next to Sarah on the floor. "Be nice, mullet boy," she scolded the man.

Sarah giggled, now standing on the crate. "Mullet boy, that's funny."

Ash scowled at the young woman who just glared right back. Giving in, Ash grabbed the triangle from the floor where he had left it and placed all the balls inside. Sarah climbed, halfway on the table to help him.

"I like your hair," Sarah admitted, quietly, trying to cheer the man up. "It's awesome."

Ash couldn't help grin. "All business up front, party in the back. Remember that, kid," he nodded at her and flicked his hair back, making Sarah laugh.

Once all the balls were inside the triangle, he started the lecture, picking one up. "This is called a solid and," Ash picked up a different one, "and this is called a stripe. Which one do you want?"

Sarah looked between both balls and pointed at the striped ball, "That one."

Ash placed them back in the triangle and removed it, setting it on the floor again.

Sarah noticed a white ball inside the center pocket she was leaning over and took it out, showing him, "What about this ball, Mister Ash?"

Ash took the ball from the toddler. "This one you use to knock the rest of them into each corner pocket, like so." He walked over to the far end, setting the ball down on the table and lined up his shot. He noticed Sarah was still leaning on the edge and motioned for her to move so she wouldn't get hit before taking his shot.

Balls scattered everywhere, with a couple going in.

"You got two in, Mister Ash," she told him, holding up two fingers.

Ash wanted to make a smartass comment about it being obvious but held his tongue, remembering she was only two years old and took another shot.

Ellen wandered over, curious. "Watching Ash, sweetie?" she asked Sarah, wrapping an arm around the toddler.

"Mister Ash is teaching me how to play," Sarah told her.

"Oh, he is, huh?" Ellen grinned over at Ash, who was lining up another shot in a different spot, this time.

"Not my idea," he said. "Are you paying attention, kid?"

"Yes, Mister Ash," she nodded.

"You are going easy on her, right?" Ellen asked Ash.

Ash shrugged, taking his shot and stood up, straight, watching a ball bounce off the edge, "No one went easy on me. Kid has to learn life isn't easy and she has to work her ass off to get by."

"She's two, Ash."

"I ain't a softy." Ash saw a ball had gone in and lined up another shot. This time, Ellen let out a fake sneeze, right as he hit the white ball, thus making him mess up. No balls went in, that time.

Ash glared over at Ellen. "That was cheap," he said.

Ellen just shrugged, "That's life. Isn't that what you said?"

He didn't say anything.

"I think it's your turn, sweetie," she told Sarah.

Sarah cheered, happily.

Ellen took the pool stick from Ash and lined up a good shot for the toddler before moving the crate. She kneeled behind Sarah and helped hold the stick, showing her how. Sarah, with Ellen's help, hit the white ball into a striped ball, knocking it in.

Sarah cheered again. "I got one, Miss Ellen," she looked back at the woman.

"I see that, sweetie. Nice," Ellen praised.

Jo decided to come back over, this time with a camera. "Everyone, look over here," she told the group. The three of them did and smiled for the camera, except Ash who stayed tough-looking as Jo snapped the picture.

They continued the game. With Ellen's help, Sarah was close behind Ash but he was still the better player and ended up winning the game.

Sarah jumped off the crate and went around the pool table to wrap her arms around the man's legs. "Great game, Mister Ash," she told him, politely. "Thank you for teaching me."

Ash was caught off guard, unsure on what to do. "Yeah, sure, kid. No problem."

Sarah wandered back around and hugged Ellen's legs. "And thank you, Miss Ellen, for helping me," she told her.

"You're welcome, sweetie," she smiled down at her.

At that moment, Emily came from the kitchen. "Let's go, Sarah, it's past your naptime," she reminded the toddler. "You should be sleeping already."

"Can Miss Ellen lay me down to sleep?" Sarah asked.

"I said, let's go, Sarah Lynn," she scolded. "If I have to come over there, you will be going to bed with a sore bottom."

Suddenly, Ash blurted out, "Hey, lay off the kid. She didn't do anything to deserve a whipping threat." It surprised him as much as it did Ellen and Jo that he, of all of them, had stood up for Sarah. "She asked a simple question."

"Stay out of this," she ordered of him. Ash could tell she was still upset about his rejection and it probably didn't help he had just given her daughter more attention than Emily.

Ellen gave the toddler a nudge, encouraging Sarah to listen so nothing would happen. She had noticed since they've been there how strict Emily was with her daughter, even after the stress Ellen tried lifting off of the young mother's shoulders. They couldn't believe how Emily could talk that way to a young child.

Sarah made her way towards her mother, receiving a hard swat when she walked pass her to their room. Jo tried to make a move towards Emily but Ellen held her back, stating they couldn't interfere. The little girl's cries echoed down the hall, breaking Ellen and Jo's hearts. They had just had a good time and it was ruined just like a snap of a finger. Even Ash was pissed at Emily's actions.

"Never thought I would see the day you would stand up for a kid, like that," Jo told Ash when Emily and Sarah were out of earshot.

Ash set the stick on top of the pool table. "Yeah, well, it reminded me of my old man, used to beat me no reason, too. So I know how the kid feels."

The ladies smiled at the man who noticed.

"What?"

"You care about Sarah," Ellen teased him.

"No, I don't, I just don't think she should be treated like that," he said, trying to deny it.

"Yeah, that's called, caring," Jo said.

"Whatever." Ash walked away to get back to work.

After that day, though he wouldn't admit it, Ash tried to look after the kid, almost like a protective, older brother. Another day, he had to fix his homemade laptop on one of the afternoons when the Roadhouse was deserted, except for one customer, who sat, busy at the bar, going through notes and research. Sarah had wandered over, curious and started asking questions about what Ash was doing. At first, he was annoyed and tried to send Sarah away but, noticed how interested she was in his laptop so he decided to tell her and let Sarah watch, impressed by how much she took in.

Over at the bar, Ellen was wiping down the bar, watching the scene. She still could not place how Sarah looked so familiar to her and decided to ask the man sitting there. "Hey, John."

"Hm," he responded but didn't look up.

"Does that little girl look familiar to you, at all?"

"Nope," was all the man, John replied, his nose stuck in his research.

"You didn't even look at her," she told him but John just shrugged. So, to get even, Ellen twisted the rag she was using and snapped him on the top of the head with it.

"What the hell was that for?" he demanded of the woman, rubbing the area Ellen hit.

"Look at that kid and tell me, she doesn't look like someone you know?" she told him, sternly.

John looked over at the kid. Where it should have been obvious to him, John just shrugged. "How should I know who she looks like? Aren't there a lot of kids with blond hair and freckles? My oldest had both when he was that age."

"Maybe," Ellen sighed, watching Sarah again.

When Ash finished fixing his laptop, Sarah wandered over to climb on the stool, adjoined to where John was sitting.

"John, you mind helping her?" she nodded at the struggling toddler.

John looked up from his research again, at Ellen, before noticing Sarah. He stood up and lifted Sarah up onto the stool. "There ya go, kiddo," he told her.

"Thank you," Sarah thanked him, politely.

"You're welcome," he smiled, sitting back on his own stool.

"I'm Sarah, I'm two years old," she told John the same she told Ellen when they met.

"Two, wow," he said, impressed and teased, "That's pretty old."

"No, it's not," she argued.

"It's not? Could've fooled me," he laughed, gently.

"What's your name?" Sarah asked, changing the subject.

"My name's John," he told her.

"Oh," she replied. "What are you doing?"

"Some work you're too young to understand."

"Nah uh, Mister Ash just taught me how to fix a computer," Sarah told him.

"But this isn't something a child should know, sweetheart," he explained to her.

"Why don't you go see what Jo's doing, sweetie," Ellen suggested, not wanting the toddler to know the truth either. It was bad enough when her own daughter learned and didn't want to ruin another child's innocence.

"Okay," Sarah sighed even though she was dead curious about what the man, John was working on.

"I'm gonna start fixing lunch and call ya when it's ready, okay?"

She nodded and dashed off to find where Jo was, getting ambushed when she ran past Ash who was coming back from his room. He lifted the toddler up onto his shoulder.

"Where do you think you're going, little lady?"

"To find where Jo is. Put me down, Mister Ash," she giggled.

"First," he lowered Sarah from his shoulder and held her upside down by her waist, "you have to say, uncle."

Sarah screamed out in laughter.

"Say it and I'll put you down."

"No, Mister Ash," she told him, remembering what Ash had taught her about not giving in so easily.

Suddenly, Ellen and John heard dishes being thrown into the sink and Emily appeared from the doorway, storming down the hall.

"Sarah Lynn, that is enough screaming," she hollered. "You know better than to scream indoors, like that."

"She's having fun," Ash hollered back at the young woman. "Grow a fucking funny bone."

"Ash," Ellen scolded him for using the F word in front of a young toddler, "Watch the language."

Ash set Sarah down on her feet.

"Sarah Lynn, come here right now," Emily ordered of the little girl.

Sarah made to walk over to her mother until Ash stopped her, pulling Sarah behind him by her T-shirt.

"Let go of my child," she now ordered of Ash.

"No," he firmly told her.

Ellen leaned over the bar to call down the hall, "Let her go, Ash. Remember what I said about interfering. I don't like it, either but it's Emily's choice, not ours."

When Ash still didn't let Sarah go, Emily stormed closer, walking right beside the guy. When she grabbed her daughter by the arm, Ash grabbed ahold and shoved Emily against the wall, glaring cold, hard daggers straight into Emily's eyes, ignoring Ellen, telling him to let her go.

"Let me go," Emily demanded of him.

"She did nothing wrong to deserve the whipping you want to give her," he snarled at her. "Go finish those dishes and leave the kid alone."

"You think I like having to punish my daughter?"

"You tell me," Ash nodded at her.

"I don't. I love my little girl, but Sarah knows better and knows what happens when she does something she isn't supposed to."

"She's still a baby who doesn't understand tone control. Just because Sarah's smart, doesn't mean you still need to treat her like she's ten. She was having fun and kids tend to scream when they are having fun. Got that?" Emily just stared at the man until finally he let go. She watched him for a minute before finally walking back to the kitchen.

The Roadhouse was dead quiet as Emily made her way back to the kitchen to continue with the rest of the dishes. John and Ellen watched her until she was past the push door and stared over at Ash who was still standing in the same spot, stunned. Ash, standing up like that, and for a kid? The guy who always stated he despised the little brats, as he had said?

Ash looked over to notice the two of them were staring at him. "What?" he asked of them and then walked away back into his room, slamming the door shut.

Sarah hurried after the guy and knocked before reaching up to open the door. "Mister Ash, may I come in?"

Ash had thrown himself onto his back, staring up at the ceiling.

"What do you want, kid?"

Sarah closed the door behind her and made her way over to climb onto the man's bed, using his covers to pull herself up, and crawled over, beside him. She sat back onto her legs. "Thank you for telling Mommy not to spank me."

He shrugged it off like it was no big deal to him. "No problem, kid." His hands were above his head, clutching the pillow more underneath. Sarah moved closer and laid down next to Ash, laying her head against his side. Ash started to object but checked his watch to see it was around her naptime and since he was pretty tired, himself, decided to let it go and closed his eyes.

Sometime later, Emily panicked when she couldn't find where Sarah was. Ellen tried to calm the young mother down and helped look all over the Roadhouse. When she poked her head in to ask Ash if he had seen Sarah, Ellen saw Sarah sleeping, soundly. In his sleep, Ash had subconsciously, turned over, onto his side and wrapped a protectively arm around the little girl. Ellen smiled and carefully closed the door, leaving the two of them alone, to continue sleeping. She found where Emily was still searching for her daughter and assured her where Sarah was and that she was safe.

Emily wanted to go get her daughter but Ellen told her to just let Sarah be, that she was perfectly out of harm's way with Ash. The older woman could tell Emily didn't like it one bit, though.

Emily and Sarah stayed all the way through the holiday season, helping to decorate the Roadhouse in lights and garland. There was even a Christmas tree put up, complete with presents for everyone, though Emily only shopped for her daughter. Sarah even gave little gifts for everyone, including Ash, who continued to be a protective, older brother. With Jo's help, she earned some pocket money to buy under five dollar gifts, except Ash's which was a little more expensive. Sarah had seen a really cool watch and thought the guy would like it and it didn't bring the toddler over her budget, she just couldn't buy a chocolate milk she wanted which Sarah was okay with. It was also Sarah who got the tough, Lynyrd Skynyrd roadie look-alike into participating in the merrily activities with the rest of them. When Ash opened the toddler's gift to him, he did end up liking the watch and immediately put it on his wrist. The guy never took it off. However, what happened a month after the holiday, shattered everyone's hearts.

Emily's father had finally tracked her and Sarah down and showed up to pick both of them up. He talked Emily into coming home and the young woman accepted. Emily just packed up their stuff and decided to leave. Sarah was crying and begging not to have to leave. She held onto Ellen's neck, not wanting to let go.

Greg walked over and wrapped a strong arm around his granddaughter's waist, yanking her out of Ellen's arms, apologizing to Ellen. Sarah cried and struggled in her grandfather's arms, reaching out for Ellen who tried so hard not to cry.

"That's enough, Sarah Lynn," he scolded, firmly of the little toddler and swatted her little bottom hard. It only made Sarah scream out, louder. Ellen didn't even want to think what was going to happen once the family was in private.

Greg carried his granddaughter outside to his minivan and strapped Sarah into her carseat as Ellen watched from the porch, the tears finally drifting down both sides of her face. The Holdens had thanked Ellen and Jo for the hospitality but that was it. There wasn't a _we will call you _or a _we'll keep in touch_. Jo started to cry which Ellen wrapped an arm around her daughter, letting Jo cry on her shoulder as they watched the minivan pull away from the Roadhouse and drive away as Ellen thought about the last year of nights where Sarah came to her room after a nightmare when her mother wouldn't let the toddler sleep in her bed, the scraped knees and elbows both her and Jo bandaged up, and the times they would read to Sarah from Jo's old childhood books. They would really miss that kid.

Ash had stayed locked up in his room, not speaking to anyone. When he did finally come out, the guy refused to talk about it, acting like everything was just fine.

"Who needs that little brat, anyways," he stated. "I say good riddance to her and that bitch of a mom of hers." Though it was the truth about Emily, Ash did not mean one bit about Sarah and deep down, he was distraught about the whole ordeal Ash just didn't want to admit it. He remained his tough, rough-skinned self.

The Roadhouse sure was quiet and empty without a toddler running around playing and never felt the same without her even when the year was pushed to the backs of their minds. They never heard from Emily or Sarah again….or so they thought, anyway.

Present day

Ellen shot out of a sound sleep. "Oh my God," she realized, quickly as she stared into the pitch darkness of her bedroom. Throwing back the covers, Ellen threw on her bedside light and dashed over to the closest where she kept an old photo album. It was kept inside the safe where Ash had stuck his research on the yellow-eyed demon for Ellen to find so it had survived the fire when the Roadhouse was lit up in flames.

The older woman brought it back to her bed, dropping it down to throw it open, skimming through the pages until she came to a section towards the end of the middle. Ellen stared at a group photo of her and Ash playing pool, together, with a little toddler standing on a milk crate in front of her.

It finally dawned on Ellen why the little toddler had looked so familiar to her. She had been, vaguely remembering Dean as a little kid. Why didn't any of this click the last few years? She then dialed her daughter's phone number, the line picking up on the fourth ring.

"Hello?" came Jo's voice, sounding like she had been woken up from a sound sleep.

"Jo?"

Jo asked, "Mom? Something wrong?"

"Remember a while back, maybe eight or nine years ago when a young mother and her daughter stayed at the Roadhouse?"

"Mom, it's three in the morning and I just finished a hunt," the younger woman moaned, her head on her pillow.

"Just answer the question, Joanna Beth." Ellen didn't mean to sound so firm with her daughter though.

"Yeah, maybe, I think. The child was like, two or something," she finally agreed.

"Yes, yes," Ellen nodded into the phone.

"What about them?"

"Well, I think I know who that little girl grew up to be…."

**The other night while I was working, I started thinking about season five of my other story, _Family is Where the Heart is _which got me thinking about Ellen and Jo and when they first appeared in the story, back in season two and how quick Sarah was how she felt she could trust them. Also, I thought about how motherly attached Ellen had gotten with Sarah, too. So, this idea popped into my head and I wanted to run it by you. Tell me what you think. If a lot of people like this idea then I will somehow incorporate this into the main story (probably not until season five). If not then I will drop it. Reviews highly appreciated! **


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